Black Friday 2024 - what did we learn?

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Another year, another record-breaking Black Friday sales! The numbers are in, and according to the experts, in 2024 we’ve spent over $74 billion on our Black Friday shopping sprees globally. That’s 5% more than the previous year. 

Before we congratulate ourselves on perpetuating the late-capitalism ideas of growth at all costs, let’s take a closer look at the statistics and analyze what made this year exceptional. We’ll be looking at both push notifications data and general trends occurring in online sales. 

It’s more than Black Friday 

It’s easy to find Black Friday on any chart. That’s where the metrics pique. It looks impressive and 2024 was no different from the previous years in this regard. However, contemporary trends show that customers are not as enamored with one-day shopping sprees. As buyers become more savvy - and complete more purchases online - they tend to wait for days after Black Friday or start shopping earlier, according to their personal needs. This year, a record-breaking $6.1 bn was spent on Thanksgiving. 

Retailers have caught on to this trend. Blac Fridays became Black Weekends or Black Weeks. After Cyber Monday, the promotions go well into December and Holiday shopping. 

E-commerce is going mobile on Black Friday 

It is the truth universally known that online sales are more prominent year-to-year. The According to Mastercard Spending Pulse report, online sales were up 14.6% on Black Friday, while in-store sales rose by only 0.7% compared to Black Friday last year.

But what’s even more prevalent in the last few years is mobile shopping taking the lead role. As Salesforce reported, a record-breaking 79% of Cyber Week e-commerce traffic was on mobile phones, up from 76% in 2022. Nothing is surprising about that. How long can you spend without looking at your smartphone?

Source: Adobe Business

And there’s one more development that’s worth noticing. Since smartphones are always with us, they can be used when we go out to shop - to scan QR codes and thus blend online and offline shopping. According to QR Codes Unlimited, QR code scans experienced a whooping 74% growth year-to-year on Black Friday 2024. 

Engagement equals Black Friday sales 

Black Friday is when we reap what we saw throughout the year of building customer loyalty and engagement. We’ve talked time and time again about the best ways to prepare for the sales season through communication and personalization. 

This year was just another proof that marketing communication is just what you need - as was proven by 37% growth in SMS and push notifications usage in the Black Friday period. 

Pushing Black Friday - how did the notifications do?

If you’re reading this article, chances are that you’re wondering primarily about push notifications and their role in fueling Black Friday sales and engagement. We’ve got you covered - here are our findings based on our clients’ results. 

• 102% more campaigns sent on Black Friday, and 43% more on Cyber Monday than on any other day in November.

• 67% more clicks on Black Friday and 35% more clicks on Cyber Monday compared to a regular day in November.

• Automation scenarios see an 18% CTR boost during Black Friday compared to a regular day in November.

• As Black Friday approaches, automation notifications ramp up, driving more engagement as users increasingly click on these alerts. 

Open rate for automation scenarios in the days leading to Black Friday. Source: PushPushGo

What does that mean? First of all, customers are comfortable with push communication and see it as a good way to learn about prices and promotions. They’re also responsive to automation scenarios (like abandoned cart notifications) which can easily sway them towards the purchase. 

We’e still pushing towards better adjusting push notifications to modern clients’ habits and expectations. There’s so much more that can be done in just a few short messages. If you want to learn more about our best practices and how-tos for Black Friday, check our ebook. And if you want to discuss your push strategies for the upcomiing months and years, contact us at [email protected].